Process of inlaying and molding articles



May 11, 1943- K. PERKINS 2,319,156

PnocEssv oF INLAYING Ann Momma mismas Filed Jan. 2z, 1940 s sheetssneet 1 K. PERKINS 2,319,156

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May l1, 1943.

rnocnss op INLAYING Aun nonnina ARTIcLEs Filed Jan. 2s. 1940 May ll, 1943. K. PERKINS PROCESS OF INLAYING`AND HOLDING ARTICLES Filed Jan. 225.11940v s sheets-sheets Patented May '11 1943 2,319,156 i rnocEss or mums Nn MoLmNG narrows Kenneth Perkins, Scotch Plains, N. .1., assignor to "The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation oi New Jersey Application January 23, 1940, Serial No. 315,866 Claims. (Cl. 18-61) 4against the action of a coiled spring 22 by strik- This invention relates to a process oi making a moulded article and more particularly to the method of inlaying a name-plate or the like in a moulded article.

One of the objects of this invention isio inlay an element having openings in aplastic material and produce contrasting colors in selected ones of the openings.

Another object of this invention is to cause the parts used in making the article to adhere to each other so that they may be readily assembled in the mould.

With the above and other objects in view as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

e In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device suitable for initially assembling some of the parts that are used to make the article.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing I' the method of placing colored plastic material in rear of the plate that is to be inlaid.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Figure l.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the device in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the two blanksv used in making the moulded article.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the mould showing the article in the mould.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of moulded article.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, a device suitable for use in carrying out the method comprises a base IIJ provided with a track Il (Fig. 1). which slidably receives the reduced p0rtion I2 of a U-shaped member I3 having limbs I4 and I5. The member I3 is held on the base I0 by a screw E6 which passes through an elongated aperture |1 which is larger than the shank of the screw I6 and is adapted to be adjusted along the track I I by the adjusting screw I8 when the screw I6 is loosened.

Pivotally secured by the pivot-screw I9 to the limb I4 of the U-shaped member I3 is one end of an arm 20 which carries at its other end a tube 2| which is adapted to be forced downwardly shown the nnished ing the head 23 with the hand (Fig. 4). The tube 2| has xed to its reduced end 2| a cutter 24 formed with a substantially rectangular crosssection. The tube is limited in its longitudinal movement and prevented from rotating by the set-screw 25 whichv is threaded into the free end of the arm 26 and has a. reduced end 26 which enters a groove 21 in the tube 2 I,

Carried on the inside oi the tube 2l is a reciprocatory plunger 29 which is normally urged upwardly by a spring 30 which reacts against the head oi the plunger 29 and the reduced portion 2 I of the tube 2|. The plunger 23 has an ejector 3| screw-threaded to its lower end and a iingerpin 32 threaded into its side and extending through slots in the cutter 24 and reduced end 2 If o1 the tube 2l.

The arm 20 with the cutter is adapted to be swung from the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in full lines. To accurately position the arm 20 in these positions, arm 26 adjacent the pivot-screw I9 is provided with set-screws 33 and 34 which cooperate with a post 35 fixed to the limb I4 of the member I3. These set-screws may be adjusted and locked in their adjusted position by their respective locknuts 33' and 34'. The arm 26 is yieldingly held in the position shown in Figure l by a shouldered plunger 36 located in an aperture 31 in the arm 20 (Fig. 4) and urged downwardly by a coiled spring -38 which reacts against the top of the plunger 36 and the set-screw 39.' The lower end of the plunger 36 cooperates with a depression 40 in the angle-piece 4I which is fixed to the limb I4 by the screw 42.

The limb I5 of the U-shaped member I3 is formed with an I'.shaped extension 44 (see Figs. 3 and 5) the upstanding limb of which is formed by spaced lugs 45 and 46 (Fig. 1). Pivotally secured to the limb I5 by the pivot-pin 41 is a lever 48 having a hand piece 49 which extends between the spaced lugs 45 and 46.

Carried by the lever 48 is an axle 50 on which y Fixed to the other end of the shaft 53 is aY ratchet-wheel 56 which is actuated by means of a pawl 51 pivotedl at 58 to an L-shaped bracket 53 secured to the arm 20 by the screws 60. The

-pawl 51 is urged downwardly by a fiat L-shaped ranged and substantially rectangular shapedk opening which slidably receives a block 66 which is constantly urged upwardly by coiled springs 61 which react against the base I0 and the block 66 (Figs. 4 and 5). in the die 64 and their reduced ends enter grooves 69 located on opposite sides of the block 6l to limit its movement.

The upper ends of the springs 61 tightly embrace plugs in which are located the plungers 1l resiliently urged upwardly by springs 12 which react against the set-screws 13 and the enlarged head of the plunger 1|. There are six plungers 1| arranged as shown in Figures l and 2, and their upper ends extend slightly above the upper surface of the block 66. The upper ends of these plungcrs serve to accurately locate the stencil plate A, one of the plungers being provided with a flat spring 15 (Figs. 1 and 5). which urges the plate A against the plunger -1I located on the opposite edge so that one edge of the plate A is accurately located regardless of slight errors in the process of manufacture of the plates.

The device above described is used in my improved method of manufacturing articles from thermosetting material inthe following manner. A roll (not shown) of paper of narrow Width and impregnated with a resin carrying a pigment, is placed at the left of the device as illustrated in Figure l and supported in any suitable manner. The narrowstrip of paper B' is led under the guide 11, between the rolls 5| and 52, over the anvil block 18, and under the guide 19.

- The operator places a stencil plate A, made from nickel, silver, or the like, between the pins 1I on the block 66 which is heated by c onduction from the die 64. The hollow cutter 24 is actuated and in cooperation with the anvil 18 the cutter 2l cuts a substantially rectangular piece from the tape B' and the piece cut out remains in the hcllow cutter 24. The arm 20 is swung about' its pivot I9 until the screw 33 strikes the post 35 (Fig. 2) at which time the cutter 2l is directly over the large S in the plate A.

With the cutter in this position, the ngerpin 32 is depressed and the ejector 3l forces the piece B of the tape B' out of the cutter and into contact with the hot plate A, the pressure and heat causing the piece B to adhere to the plate A. The lever 32 is released and the arm 20 swung back to the position shown in Figure l. When the lever 20 moves to the position shown in Figure l, the pawl 51 actuates the ratchet-wheel 55 thereby causing the rollers 52 and 5I, which frictionally grip the tape due to the action of the spring 80 (Fig. 5), to advance the tape over the anvil 18. The part C, shown in Figure 6, which is formed from a fibrous condensation product is then placed in the depression 8ll in the die Set-screws 68 are located to that shown in Figure 4. These movements cause the part C to assume the shape shown in Figure 4 and the pressure and heat cause the parts A, B and C to adhere to each other and become, in eiect, a single part.

The die 82 is raised and the adhering parts A, B and C are placed in the lower half of the mould, indicated as 84 in Figure 7, and the core 86 is .then placed in position. The blank marked D in Figure 6 is placed over the core 85 and the upper part 8,6 of the mould is moved into position and the parts thus assembled are subjected to heat and pressure. This causes the pigmented resin on the piece of tape B to flow into the openings of the letter S in the plate A and at the same time block out the entrance of the black thermo-setting material of the part C, the other openings in the plate A being filled with the black material. The ends of the blanks C and D flow together and unite. 'Ihe product is then complete, and upon removal from the mould is -as indicated in Figure 8.

' served that the lthin tape B carrying the pigmented resin can be accurately placed in the desired position upon the stencil plate and that the thin coating of resin will not extend to other than the selected ones of the characters cut into the plate to be inlaid. Further, the smooth iinish of the body of the article, the shining nickel plate and the different colors showing through the stencil produces a pleasing eiIect.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

l. Method of inlaying a plate having opening in a moulded article which consists in placing a thin tape coated with a resin carrying a pigment on the face of the plate which is to become invisible' and over selected ones of the openings of the plate, subjecting the plate and tape to heat to cause them to adhere, assembling the plate with the tape adhering thereto in a mould with a thermo-setting compound and subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure until all of the parts are united and the pigmented-resin flows into the selected openings..

' 2. Method of inlaying a plate having openings in a moulded article which consists in placing on one face of the plate a piece of material which is adhesive when heated and carries a pigment, applying heat to the plate and material to make them adhere, assembling the plate and material in a' mould with the other face of the plate in contact with the face of the mould and' with a thermo-setting 'compound in back of the pigmentedfmaterial and plate and subjecting the assembly tov heat and pressure until allthe parts are united and the pigmentedmaterial flows into the openings.

3. Method of inlaying a plate formed with openings in a moulded article which consists in adhesively applying to one face of the plate a sheet of pigment carrying material soas to cover selected ones of said apertures, assembling the plate and adhesively applied material with the uncovered face of the plate in facial contactwith the face of a mould and with a mass of thermo-setting compound against the covered face of the plate and subjectingthe assembly to heat and pressure until the pigmented material enters the vopenings in the stencil plate and a composite article is produced.

4. Method of producing a moulded article with a metallic stencil plate inlaid therein which comprises, cutting a piece of resin impregnated tape from a continuous strip. placing the piece of tape on one of the faces and over selected ones of the perforations in the stencil plate, applying heat to the piece of tape and plate t0 cause them to adhere, assembling the piece of tape and the other plate in a mould with the face of the plate in contact with one face of the mould, placing blanks of thermo-setting compound in the mould over the piece of tape and plate and subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure until the thermo-setting compound in the tape and blank enter the openings in the stencil plate and become level with the face of the plate.

5. Method of producing a moulded article with a metallic stencil .plate inlaid therein which comprises cutting from a continuous strip of thin pigmented carrying material a piece smaller than-the plate, placing the piece of material on one of the faces of the stencil and-over selected ones of the openings in the stencil, subjecting the plate and piece of material to heat to cause them to adhere, bending a preformed blank of fibrous thermo-setting material of a different color than the color of the, pigmented material and simultaneously forcing the blank into contact with the tape and applying heat to cause these parts to adhere, placing the assembly in a mould with another blank consisting of brous thermo-setting material and subjecting the entire assembly to heat and pressure until all of the parts are united and the pigmented material ilows into selected ones of the openings in the stencil plate and the thermo-setting compound flows into the remaining openings in the plate.

KENNETH PERKINS. 

